Multiflash lamp device



Oct. 1, 1946. v J. J. MALLOY 2,408,469

v MULTIFLASH LAMP DEVICE Filed Nov. 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig 1.

Inven'tor John J. MaLlOH,

His A'b't'of'hea.

Oct. 1, 1946, J. J. MALLOY 2,403,469

' v MULTIFLASH LAMP DEVICE v Filed Nov. 1, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 Fig 2.

v 'lnven'tor'. John J. MaLLdH,

His A'irlfotneg.

Patented ct .1,1946

2,408,469 MULTIFLASH LAMP DEVICE John J. Malloy, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor I to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 1, 1943, Serial No. 508,483-

8 Claims. (01. 240-37) My invention relates to illuminating apparatus for photographic purposes and its principal object is to provide an apparatu or device of this kind accommodating a plurality of flash lamps and capable of emitting a number of flashes of light in rapid succession to enable a photographer to take a series of pictures in a short time. Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of species thereof and from the appended claims.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, a species of my invention is shown in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the multiflash lamp device; Fig. 2 is a similar View of the device rotated 180 and Fig, 3 J

is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 3--3ofFig.1. A

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, mymultiflash lamp device comprises a reflector l0 and lamp supporting means mounted for rotation about an axis substantially normal to the axis of the reflector |llwhen the reflector is in a lamp enclosing position; The lamp support or rotary holder is'provided with a plurality of sockets |2 suitable for accommodatingthezbayonet bases 3 of a like number of flash lamps |4 which lamps are supported by said holder II with their axes radially disposed to theaxis of rotation of the :holdenvThe reflectorIO, which is preferably of the parabolic typejihas aciroular opening, indicated at I5, at thevertex thereof which is slightly larger in diameter than the largest outsidejdiameter of the lamp bulbs IS. The reflector"; I0. is movable in a circular are about the pivot 1'! which is located in a plane normal to the axis of the lampj I4 enclosed by the reflector l0, and which plane intersects said lamp axis betweenthe lamp base |3and the largestdiameter-part of the lamp bulb l6- Thus, the reflector |0 may be moved from its normal lamp enclosing position toa position, indicated in dot-dash linesv in Fig. 2, inswhichit is out of the path of movement of the lamps l4 as the latter are advanced successively by the rotary holder into 'positionto be-enclosed by the reflector l0 when the latter is returned to its normal position, shown'jin full; lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

The flashlamps] 4 removably mounted in the rotary holder sockets |2 comprise a readily combustible material and a supporter of combustion contained in the light transmitting lamp bulblG. Such lamps ,arermanufactured in large numbers and one species thereof comprising a readily combustible,'loosely arranged.material fllling the bulb is disclosed in U. S.-Patent 2,306,563, issued Marvin Pipkin. Another December 29, 1942, to

speciesof flash lamp comprise a compact body of combustible material supported in the bulb and 2,291,9,83,'issued. Au

is disclosed in U. S. Patent gust 4, 1492,v to Marvin Pipkin, Both types of lamps may be used with my multiflash device for producing flashes of actinic light useful for pho-.

tographic purposes.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the rotary lamp holder H is mounted for rotation on an axle l8 of electrically insulating material which is immovably supported by the two arms I3 and 20 of the carrier or support 2| by the bolt 22 at the end thereof supported by arm |9 and the two spaced bolts 23 and Which pass through support plate 25, which plate 25 is bolted'to the arm 20. Interposed between the axle |8 and the plate 25 is a metal washer. 26. The rotary holder H has projections orjpins .2! thereon equal innumberfto the lamp sockets, 1 and ex tending inthe direction of the plate. 25.' v A pawl 28 (Fig. 2) 'is, disposed between th'e'holder II and the plate 25 and isprovided with a hooked end portion 29. for engaging the "pins 211 when the pawl" 28 is movedin ,a direction away. from the reflector l0. "Part'ofjplate 25 is brok'enaway in Fig. 2 to showportion 29. of pawl 28 and a pin 21. The oppositeend 30. otithe pawlj'28 is pivotedon. the rod 3| secured to the'leverarm 32 and passing through the slot 33 in the plate 25; Thepawl 23 rests against one of thepins 2l with thehooked end 29 thereof spac'edan appreciable distance from the pin 21 on which itrests when the various parts of the device are I in theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the reflector 0 enclosing a lamp 4.

The lever arm 32' is pivoted at 34 on the plate 25 so as to be movable in a circular arc in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 2). The movement of arm 32 in the direction of the arrow and in the opposite direction is limited by the ends of arcuate slot 33 in plate 25. The arm 32 is provided with a handle 35 normal thereto. The pivoted end of arm 32 has a projection 36 extending at an acute angle thereto which projection 36 has apin 31 engaging with a slot 38 i in the connecting rod 39 which is pivoted at 49 on the'end portion 4| of reflector support member.'42. The member 42 is'pivoted at I! between its end portion 4| and the reflector l0 and is disposed between the/plate 25 and the support bracket 43 secured to plate 25. The pivot pin H is supported by bracket 43 and plate 25. 'A stop provided with an adjustable set screw 45 is attached to bracket 43 for supportingrenector 10 in proper position about the lamp M. A spring 46 is attached to end 4| of support 42 at a point on the far side of pivot 40 from pivot l1. The opposite end of the spring 46 is attached to the free end of pin 31 on projection 36 of arm 32.

The arm 32 has an outwardly curving portion 41 which passes through an arcuate slot in the cover 48 (shown broken away in Fig.v 2) attached to plate 25. Thus, handle 35 on arm 32 is accessible for manual manipulation.

As shown in Fig. 3 the insulated wires 49 and 50 for connecting the apparatus to a source of electrical energy, such as a battery of cells, suit-- able for igniting the lamps 1.4 are attached, lie. spectively, to the bolt 24 and to the metal sleeve disposed in a cavity in the axle IS. The sleeve El and the exposed portion of wire 50 are held in place in axle [B by the set screw 52 which also holds the spring contact 53 in place and connects it electrically to the wire 50. The spring contact 53' extends partially around the axle l8 and the free end portion 54 thereof engages only with the center contact 55 of the bayonet base I 3 of that lamp l4 enclosed by the reflector l0- Thus, the free end, base contact engaging portion 54 of contact 53 is disposed so as to intersect the prolongation of the reflector axis when the reflector I0 is in its lamp enclosing position. The sockets I2' in rotary holder II are of the conventional.

bayonent base accommodating type and comprise a spring member 56 for releasably locking the lamp bases l3 therein. The outer shell contacts of the lamp bases 13 are electrically connected to the wire 49 by bolt 24, plate 25, which consists of metal, spring contact 51 which is bolted thereto at 58 and presses against the metal rotary holder I l and by the metal shell of sockets I2 with which said outer contacts of the bases I3 are engaged. The wires 43 and. 50 may be connected across the electrical energy source in the conventional manner, a switch being provided in the circuit, as is customary, for controlling the ignition of the lamp l4 included in the circuit. The switch may be operated by hand or by synchroniz'ing apparatus which also controls the operation of the camera. shutter. I

The operation of the above described multifiash lamp device is as follows:

After the lamps I4 have been inserted in the sockets [2, the lamp l4 enclosed by the reflector In is ready for ignition by the ele tric l appa= ratus. described above. When this lamp has been flashed it is replaced by an unflashed lamp by ma u y moving handle 35 in the. direction 0.1. the arrow (Fig. 2) until the motion of arm .32 is stopped by rod 3| engaging with the end of slot 33-. The reflector Ill is moved about its pivot pin I? by the spring 46 attached to portion 4| of reflector support 42 and to pin 37. When the handle 35 has been moved a sufficient distance (which is less than the full distance of its travel) to bring the hook end portion 29 of the pawl 28 into engagement with the pin 21, the reflector [0 has been moved by the means described above an angular distance such that rotary holder I! may start to rotate without striking the lamp M to bemoved out of the reflector or the lamp M to .be moved into the reflector. .As the handle is moved further in its arcuate path, the holder (1 is rotated by the pawl .zssecured to arm 32 by pivotrod 3| through a suffloient angular distance to bring into position to be enclosed by the reflector the .lamp l4 next to the flashed lamp.

The slot 33 in plate is of such size and is so located that it arrests the motion of handle 35 when the next lamp to be flashed has been moved into proper position. When the handle 35 has reached its limit of travel in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2) the reflector I3- is in the position indicated by dot-dash lines in this figure. The handle 35 is then moved in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow to returnthe reflector H! to its lamp enclosing position and the pawl 23 to a position in which the hook 29 is spaced from the next pin 21 to be engaged there by, which positions are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A spring 59 secured to the part of the pivot pin ll and the arm 32 outside the cover 3% is provided for quickly returning the arm 32 and the elements connected therewith to th position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 after a flashed lamp has been replaced by an unflashed lamp. The reflector i3 is thus returned; to its lamp enclosing position faster than it would be by gravity alone by the pin 3'! on. projection .33 en a n h nd r s t 38 in ember 38 to impress the force xe ted y pri 59 as a turning moment on the pivoted refle tor support 42. During the return motion of the pawl 28 and until the holder H is to be rotated again for lamp changing purposes, the holder l is held stationary .by axle l3 to which it is frictionally fitted. The above described operation is repeated until all the lamps l4 have been flashed. The flashed lamps may then be removed from sockets l2 and replaced by unflashed lamps.

The multiple flash lamp device described above may be temporarily or permanently secured to a camera by the carrier 2 I.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A multiple flash lamp device comprising a concave reflector of sufficient depth to substant y surround and en lose a lash l m ans r upp rtin a p u a ity f flash lamp and advancing them successively first into and then, after being flashed, out oi said reflector through the position normally occupied by the reflector, means supporting said reflector and said lamp supporting means in juxtaposition, and means for displacing said reflector out of the path of movement of said lamps upon actuation of the lamp advancement means.

2. A multiple flash lamp device comprising a concave reflector of sufiicient depth, to substan: tially surround and enclose a flash lamp and hav-.- ingan axis, rotatable means for supporting a plu-.- rality of flash lamps and advancing them successive'ly flrst into and then, after being flashed, out of said reflector through the position normally occupied by the reflector, said means being arranged for rotation about an axis perpendicular to a plane including said reflector axis, means supporting said reflector and said lamp supporting means in juxtaposition, and means for displacing said reflector out of the path of movement of said lamps upon actuation of the lamp advancement means.

3. A multiple flash lamp device comprising a co c ve reflector of suffioient de th to's bsta ial y su round and en l e flash lamp m a fo suppor ing a p ural f flash lam s and dvancing them succes e fi st to and then after being fleshed. out i said refle to thro gh the pos tion normally occupied by the ref ctor, said reflector bein pi otall mounted, mea su p ting sa d r flector a d said lamp su o ting means in ju taposition and mean i r m in said reflecto a out its t n ou Qithe path or movement of said lamps upon actuation of the lamp advancement means.

4. A multiple flash lamp device comprising carrier means for supporting a plurality of flash lamps, a concave reflector movably supported adjacent said carrier means and of sufficient depth to normally surround and enclose one of said lamps, and actuating means arranged to synchronize advancement of successive lamps first into and then, after being flashed, out of said reflector together with displacement of the reflector out of the path of movement of the lamps during each advancement thereof.

5. A multiple flash lamp device comprising carrier means for supporting a plurality of flash lamps, a concave reflector movably upported adjacent said carrier means and of suflicient depth to normally surround and enclose one of said lamps, and actuating means comprising a lever of the second class arranged to synchronize advancement of successive lamps first into and then, after being flashed, out of said reflector together with displacement of the reflector out of the path of movement of the lamps during each advancement thereof.

6. A multiple flash lamp device comprising a rotary holder having a plurality of lamp accom modating sockets radially disposed about its axis of rotation and a concave reflector of sufiicient depth and so disposed as to substantially surround and enclose a lamp in said holder, means supporting said holder and said reflector in juxtaposition, said holder being arranged to advance ment ofsaid lamps upon actuation of said holder.

'7. A multiple flash lamp device comprising a concave reflector of sufficient depth and so disposed as to substantially surround and enclose a. flash lamp, means for supporting a plurality of flash lamps and advancing them successively first into and then, after being flashed, out of said reflector through the position normally occupied by the reflector, means supporting said reflector and said lamps supporting means in juxtaposition, said reflector having a lamp-passing opening at its apex and means for displacing said reflector out of the path of movement of said lamps upon actuation of said lamp advancement means.

8. A multiple flash lamp device comprising a concave reflector of sufflcient depth to substantially surround and enclose a flash lamp, means for advancing a series of flash lamps successively first into and then, after being flashed, out of said reflector through the position normally occupied by the reflector, means supporting said reflector and said lamp supporting means in juxtaposition, and means for displacing said reflector out of the path of movement of said lamps upon actuation of the lamp advancement means.

JOHN J. MALLOY. 

